finally!

Remember a couple of months ago when we talked about my flock growing? Well, it has! By 6, by jove!

Two weeks ago, I got six (!) 1-week old chicks! 3 hens of the red variety and 3 hens of the non-red variety. The store where I bought them does not specify exactly what breed they are, they are a mystery hen, Scooby Doo. Anyway, they are very cute and this weekend was spent hard hard at work, building them an adorable coop. There is still work to do, but between Todd, Mom and Dad and Rod's help, all we have left is fnishing work, and even I can do that. I am very proud of my little flock (even if they are kinda going through an ugly duckling (bumdumbump) phase as they get their adult feathers), our coop and following my path of independence and sustainability.... eggs (and probably home-grown poultry, if I can) here we come!

Thievery.

So apparently there is a rash of thievery occurring. People have been breaking into storage units over the past couple of nights between here and Salina. I read about the Salina break-ins here: Salina Storage Unit Break-ins, but was completely unaware that it had spread to Abilene until Rod, who hangs out with farmers, cops, retirees and outlaws, let me know that one of the Sheriffs told him that 3 storage facilities had been broken into in Abilene. Have I heard anything from our local news outlet? No. I'm not sure it even printed in our local newspaper and definitely won't be shared online until it is common knowledge.

Good news - all of our units and locks are intact and appear to be unharmed. (According to Rod - this is because we live on a bad side of town... thieves are scared. I say - it's because we live on the South side of the tracks, everyone knows there's nothing worth stealing down here. Regardless.)

Other possible good news... I would think it would be really fairly easy to get a online Abilene news site going... wheels are turning. Probably won't go anywhere, but spinning nonetheless.

Thievery.

So apparently there is a rash of thievery occurring. People have been breaking into storage units over the past couple of nights between here and Salina. I read about the Salina break-ins here: Salina Storage Unit Break-ins, but was completely unaware that it had spread to Abilene until Rod, who hangs out with farmers, cops, retirees and outlaws, let me know that one of the Sheriffs told him that 3 storage facilities had been broken into in Abilene. Have I heard anything from our local news outlet? No. I'm not sure it even printed in our local newspaper and definitely won't be shared online until it is common knowledge.

Good news - all of our units and locks are intact and appear to be unharmed. (According to Rod - this is because we live on a bad side of town... thieves are scared. I say - it's because we live on the South side of the tracks, everyone knows there's nothing worth stealing down here. Regardless.)

Other possible good news... I would think it would be really fairly easy to get a online Abilene news site going... wheels are turning. Probably won't go anywhere, but spinning nonetheless.

Back again? Re-back?

So, I bet I know what you are thinking... time for the quarterly update. Time for the check-in along with the promise to blog more. But really - here I am... for the update...and I promise to blog more.

Promise.

Let's start by looking back - this year has been pretty good really. I can't complain too much. I've gotten to visit with Mike and Tara, Erikka and the girls, I've gotten to spend a lot of great time with Cari, Nate and Skylar, Todd's parents, got to meet Todd's sister Stacy and his nephews, even Aunt Cin, Uncle Kirk and my cousins. Family time has been abundant. Todd and I didn't burn anything that isn't meant to be burned. Dogs, bunnies and kitty are happy and healthy. We did lose one cat - Potsy - but I like to think he was just picked up by someone who thought he was a stray and loves cats. I haven't seen any evidence to the contrary. Jobs (both mine and Todd's) are on the upswing (maybe... I mean - they aren't ideal yet, but hey! I'm not the receptionist!) I bought a gun! I know, right... but while I have shot it several times, I haven't actual killed anything with it (although there is a bird out there with strong feelings of hate towards me.) I got to spend a lot of time outside... between fishing, 'hunting' and hanging laundry, I mean, I was a regular Paul Bunyan. You can bet that guy had to hang a lot of laundry.

Now 2012... I have really big plans. I mean, huge. I am really hopeful that they all come true and that they are a wise choice. I know my intentions are in the right place. And I know what they say about intentions, but I hope that they are wrong. Things to look for: My 'flock' to grow (hopefully in several ways), me coming to a city near you, and hopefully more corporate ladder climbing. Stay tuned...

here we are

Months later...

And soon little baby girl (or possibly boy) Skylar Jade will be here! It's amazing at the things that are changing, between the new niece and Mom and Dad's complete lifestyle change as Dad starts his new job, things feel a little crazy.

I am enjoying my new hobby and pretty much every week I am canning something. This winter, Todd and I will have fresh summer salsa, pickled beets (YUMMMM), dill pickles, zucchini relish and strawberry jam to enjoy. (I wonder if winter is easier to get through if you get to eat delicious summer vegetables?) And I'm not done yet. I am patiently waiting for Rod's pears to be ready for picking and then hold on to your hats, we'll have pear crunch, pear butter, pear sauce, pear jam... we'll probably have pear coming out of our pores.

The reasons I like this hobby is pretty basic really, but I think it's intrinsic to my personality to try new things to see if I can do it. (Can we say "idiot boots"?) I also think that, although there is money involved, I am creating something completely practical and useful. Plus the adoration! Oh, my goodness! You give someone a jar of homemade strawberry jam and you would think you gave them your first born!

Love and strawberry jam to you all!

My two faces

So I think (I hope) we all have at least 2 faces. I definitely do. I don't have secrets (well, I do... but they won't be revealed on the interwebs anytime soon, I hope.) But I do have facets I keep hidden. Mostly out of fear and societal pressures. I have a stong fear of judgement - from potential in-laws (not you Tara - but Todd's parents). After the debacle with Hricko's parents, I feel like it's too easy to hate me if you don't agree or appreciate my facets. Or fear of judgement from people who barely know me but are Facebook 'friends'. I shouldn't care. But I don't want people to think they have a full picture of me based on one status or silly statement. It wouldn't be the first time it happened. Anyway - here are some of my hidden 'things' facets or things I want to share but don't.

Sometimes, when I sit down on 'strange' toilets I feel like they are too short, and then I think I'm a giant. And I so gradually became a giant, that even I didn't notice. And then I think don't ever tell anyone this.

Sometimes, when I see someone with a cast I want to punch them or push them over, just to see if it would hurt. And sometimes I want to do it to cast an air of intimidation.

Sometimes I hear a song lyric and I want to spread the word about the great song. Even if it doesn't really represent my mood or even the music that I typically like.

Sometimes, I have very childish urges - like the great idea to pull the fire alarm. I would never act on them, but then I think - what if I thought about it so much I accidentally did it.

I also have the tendency to have day-mares. It's like daydreams, but I will think of something bad and then I will think of all the outcomes and when I find the worst, then I will imagine my response, then the next bad thing will happen, then my reaction and so on. I can spend hours playing this game.

When I try to do something, and I fail or am in the process of failing or look back and think I failed, I want to give up. I don't think I quit easily but I think I get frustrated easily.

I have trust issues.

I think that's all I want to share for now. Feel free to respond with some of your craziness.

life and death

So that's a heavy title.

The good of this week has been really good. Mom and Dad are home. Everything seems to make more sense when they are around. My bunny Loco had 6 healthy babies and is taking great care of them. I had a real fear that some babies would be born unhealthy and the humane thing to do is to .... I'm trying to think of the right word...I guess euthanize is the right word if they are born malformed. You see, the ones that are not formed correctly will still drink mama's milk, but they are not going to live. So then the others would not be as strong. Anyway - the good news is I didn't need to even worry about that. She made some great babies and she is doing a great job as a mom. Todd got a job this week. A huge great thing. It stinks a little because for the first time in our relationship, our time is constrained by scheduling, but we have to make it work until something changes.

The death part of this blog is both sad and scary. Two weeks ago, LJ's grandpa died. He was old and not well - had suffered with Alzheimer's since we were in college. So it wasn't a shock, but is still sad. This week Kate's (another friend from high school that I stay in touch with) dad died. Suddenly. He was born in 1949. Makes him 61 right? Yes. (I'm bad at 'years' math.) I feel so sad for Kate and LJ. LJ's grandpa dying reminded me of when Grandpa Jerry died. The sickness was sudden .. or seemed sudden to me, so it's not alike in that way, but I ... just can really put myself back in that time. Then Kate's dad. Well, I can't understand that. I just know that it is scary that one of my friends, someone I have spent probably literally thousands of hours with had to bury her parent. I know that moms and dads die all the time. I understand that car accidents happen and planes crash and people get sick. But to die suddenly? A mom or dad of someone my age? I just re-read that and I sound rediculous. I know that people of my parent's age die all the time. I guess it just really made me consider my own family's mortality and my age in a more unflattering light. I don't like to think about these things.

Love you all.